Feathers
ENTRANCE I
A Small Visit
Written by MARU

I'm sitting alone in a dimly lit dining room, staring at a window.

It starts to rain heavily at 11pm.

Damn it.

"Clyde?" a girl of fourteen years calls, sitting beside me at the round wooden dining table. She's dressed in an orange sleeveless with an emerald icon and black skinny jeans. Her hair is a jaw-length gold, her eyes toned green, looking at me with a sort of look.The kind of look you get when you don't know what to do, what to say. And she's giving ME that look...

I knew she'd give me that look at some point tonight.

"Sasha, I know he'll be here this time. I can just feel it." I protested, knowing what she was worried about. She just takes my hand in hers. She looks down at them, that look still on her features. I just gulp. "S-Seriously, Sasha, he's gonna-"

"You aren't the only one," she cuts in softly. "You aren't the only one who wants him around.I miss him too. But you know how Zola is." She puts her left hand on my right shoulder."Odds are, he isn't going to come tonight."

I tug at the collar of my dark purple tunic. "Sasha..." I began. "He...he knows what day it is. We're best friends. Sure, we aren't so close now, but I just..."

I look at her, fighting back tears in my violet eyes. "I have this feeling... This powerful, undeniable sureness in me. He's gonna pay me a visit. Tonight. I know he will."

"..." Sasha looks to me with that same look; That worried look. But it seems... different. There's some back-up in it. In that same five seconds, I recognize the look. She's sporting my fourth favorite look to find on her.

We lean in, to kiss passionately. Thank God for girlfriends. I really needed that. She wasn't just kissing me, but relieving me. She was kissing me to help me relax a little about this.

Too bad it just didn't last. When we finished our kiss, she got up, walking towards the hallway. Before leaving, she turns to me. "You have one more hour," she warns playfully, "and then you go to bed. Oh, and Clyde?"

I look up to her.

"Happy 16th Birthday, darling."

(AN: For the record, Clyde's hair is an unkempt black.)

Forty-five minutes pass. I'm lying my head on my arms, staring out the window. I can see the faint orange glow of a street light in the lower corner, giving the raindrops falling onto and down the window a kind of outline. It's actually kind of funny; When I think about Zola, everything comes into focus.

Zola Tenacia...

My best friend... I think. We always wondered, what drove us to be friends? I mean, me, a kid with weird tastes who lives with his aunt, and Zola, a boy with naturally green hair and the son of a scientist and a model. I can't even understand how that works. But we were friends all the same.

He was always so quiet and serious. He'd often come to my house just to wake me up. Zola always shrugged when you asked what he wanted. The only people he ever even smiled with were me and his litte sister Valencia, or Val. He even told me we were the two most important people in his eyes.

...But he left us...

How do you just up and leave like that? I mean, think of it like this. You're best friend runs away from home, then comes back eight years later, only to run away again because your sister got really sick. Now that last part sounds insensitive, but the friend didn't run away TO the sister. That's right, Zola ran away from Val. Poor kid.

See, it all started years ago, like, when we were seven, or rather, he was eight. The last time we saw each other as kids. He told me he was leaving for a long time and to try and take care of Val for him. See, I was okay with that. Even now, I take care of her.

What he NEGLECTED to tell me was that his parents died of some rare disease. I forgot what is was called. I just know it was some sort of flower-named syndrome. It didn't really help that Val knew nothing about it, or what Zola was doing. How was I supposed to explain to a three-year-old that her whole family just left her, both figuratively AND literally?

Well, Aunt Amy did a pretty good job of it...

Anyways, a few months ago, Zola came back. I was fifteen, he was sixteen. I work part-time at a convinience store, he mixes chemicals as a hobby. I rode a bike, he rode a Harley. Where he even got the money for that, I don't wanna know. Point is, we kinda just...grew apart.

Val, who's eleven now, was incredibly happy when she heard he was coming back. She couldn't sleep, she was so excited. I would know, since we have to share a room and, well, you can kinda guess... When Zola arrived, she practically jumped into his arms and cried. I never saw Zola so happy. He didn't smile, but his face lit up brighter than a spotlight.

It was like he didn't want his sister's hug to end.

Now, I never asked what happened to him those eight years. I never got to. Two weeks after he came back, Vallie got sick. She fainted in mid-sentence, as I recall. Zola looked like we witnessed a murder and was about to kill someone for it.

The next day, Valencia was lying in bed the entire day. Sasha and I watched over her for that long. Aunt Amy tried everything but she couldn't wake her until, like, dinner. But Zola... Val couldn't even calm him down.

That morning, Val wakes up to find a note on her bed and immediately starts crying. As soon as I read it, I started crying too.

Zola Tenacia left us again.

-x-X-x-

That was two months ago.

Two months ago, I abandoned those close to me.

I lean on the handles of my Harley, Faris. I'm looking up to the dimly lit second story window. Thunder and lighting drum up a white flash as the rain falls against my skin. I slip off my night-lens goggles with a deep sigh. Seconds later, I dismount Faris, leaving it parked in front of the building.

I begin to climb the concrete wall up to the window. I also ponder... Will anyone be on the other side of the glass? Will they have waited for me? Then again, I don't deserve to be waited on, do I?

But I still wonder... Was I missed?

Lightning flashes as I knock on the glass.

-x-X-x-

I growl at the wall clock next to the window. 'Some friend,' I think as I get up from the table. 11:50 and he isn't here. I swear,the next time I-

...

Zola...

You came...

We just stare at each other after Zola was let in. We waited for one of us to break the silence. The problem was, neither of us knew what to say. I mean, I COULD say a list of things to him, but out of them all, I couldn't feel right with most of them. Not yet at lea-

'"Happy Birthday...Gauntila," Zola sighed, using his weird nickname for me. I never understood why he called me that. What kinda name is that, Gauntila? Maybe I'll look it up later. Right now I'm just glad he broke the silence!

"Thanks..." I uttered, looking at him with uncertainty. God, it felt weird talking to him. Like talking to a complete stranger. It was a few minutes before we sat down, eating a slice or two of the leftover cake.

"...So," I gulped down a forkful of the cake on my plate, "Where've you been?"

No answer. He had cake in his mouth, so I waited for him to finish chewing, but he didn't respond after swallowing.

"...Well?" I cleared my throat.

"Is Valencia still around?" Zola asked. Damn, Zola, not a fan of answers?

Wait...

The frick?

"Am I missing something?" I asked him.

"Oh sorry, was that too quiet?" Zola blinks. He always had a concern or two about his volume. But he didn't change it by much. "I was asking if my sister was okay since... That Day."

...So he admits it...

"...She's fine... Turns out she just had a surprise fever..." I explain as my head hangs. "She got it from a teacher from her school. Shouldn't have been grading those worksheets. Heh."

Zola just nods.

...Just...

...Nods...

That does it.

"...So, that's all you want? Just..." I can't...think straight... "Just..t'make sure that kid's still alive?"

"...Well...She's my sister."

How Dare He!

"So nothing else matters right now? Nothing?"

"...Well, other than saying 'happy birthday'... I was wondering, would I still be accepted here?"

...What...

"I'm... sorry for leaving... I can promise, it won't happen aga-"

"Shut up." He looks at me, his eyes widening only slightly. I continue. "Don't feed me those lies anymore. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize bullshit!"

Zola stood up from his chair, squinting like I just offended him past calling him a liar. Not that I cared at the moment. "I'm sorry?" he breathed. "I thought I heard you relate science to lies."

In the heat of the moment, I stand too. "So what if I did?" I taunt angrily. "It doesn't matter to you if I have opinions about anything, right?!"

Zola just blinked. "...You don't make sense."

"Y'know what doesn't make sense? Abandoning your own goddamn family!" I shout. "All you've ever done is leave us! Even when we were just kids, you ran away! You're SISTER didn't even matter, DID SHE? YOUR THREE-YEAR-OLD MOTHERFUCKING SISTER DIDN'T MEAN SHIT, AND AT ELEVEN, SHE STILL DOESN'T, DOES SHE?! AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT HOW I FELT FOR EIGHT YEARS! ALL THAT EVER MATTERED WAS YOU AND YOUR DAMN PROBLEMS! Y'KNOW WHAT? FUCK YOUR PROBLEMS, FUCK THIS DRAMA, AND FUCK YOU, ZOLA TENACIA!"

A few seconds of silence passed, if you don't count my tired panting. Tears were rolling down my cheeks, and my teeth were bared. And Zola just stood there, his hair hiding his eyes.

"...Are you done...? Good."

He shoves the tables out of the way. The next thing I know, we're on the floor. Zola's on top of me, hands squeezing my neck. "Take it back." he growled. I do the same as I frantically try to get free. "I can make it look like an accident, Gauntila. I don't want to kill anyone before I explain why I was gone for all those years. But if you don't leave my dearest Valencia out of this, I WILL choke the living fuck out of you."

I manage to choke 'okeygh, okeygh' out and he lets go of my neck, only to restrain me by the wrists. "Before I begin, I need to make sure I'm not interrupted."

Silence, other than our heavy breathing, filled the room. We just stared at each other for seconds, into only two minutes. Zola drew a deep breath before explaining.

"...Remember how my parents died...?" he began. "Probably not... They died from a rare medical illness. Blue Rose Syndrome, it was called... I ran away so I could find a cure. I ended up in the second-to-next town, under the wing of a scientist who just so happened to be working on a cure for Blue Roses.

"I'd lived with him for a few years. In that time, I learned a few things. Advanced Chemistry, How to drive a Harley, Stealth-Killing." He seemed to realize I was glaring. "Not that I ever needed to... Anyway, when I was ready to reunite with you again, I did."

He paused long enough for me to realize I could speak. "...Then what about when Val was sick...?"

"...Well..." Zola looked down. At this point we were sitting up beside each other. "...I was...scared... I was afraid to lose her... I thought...I thought she had a genetic case of Blue Roses... I was afraid that...if I hadn't gotten the cure to her in time..."

I just stared. Zola looked like he was about to cry or something. It was just...

"Okay, that's enough." a voice toned from the doorway across the room. We both turned our attention to a woman in her twenties (seemingly, anyway) with long, dark hair, so dark you could barely tell it apart from her black gown.

"Aunt Amy...?" I breathed.

"I was wondering when you'd be back, Tenacia." She smirked. Zola returned it with a glance to the side. "Before either of you ask, yes, I was listening the whole time. Nice work telling him off, Clyde, but next time, don't let Zola take you down so easy. And hurry to your room. I'm sure Sasha's waiting."

I just blinked. "...Uhh..."

"Hey, what're you gawking at? Get moving." Amy grinned. I just did so. I was drained anyways... Who wouldn't be drained after all that?

But it still bothers me...Why was Zola so afraid?

-x-x-x-

"So, what brings you here, Gemstones?"

"..."

"Wait, I was listening...Val, right?"

"..."

"*sigh* Zola, look... I can understand how it feels, the fear of losing a sibling... But I can't believe you didn't even try to get the cure to her fast enough."

"...You know the Doctor...He keeps me busy when I'm stressed out..."

"Finally you say something... Well, anyhoozle... What're you gonna do now?"

"...As opposed to sitting around, just moping...? I'm thinking..."

"...I have an idea... That Harley of yours have a sidecar yet?"

"...What do you have in mind...?"

"Something along the lines of... 'Oh, my dearest Valencia, adoring sister, I apologize for all wrongs I've dealt you', or something like that."

"...I don't sound that dramatic..."

"Yes you do!"

"Heh... Well... What would you have me do?"

-x-x-x-

I woke up...weirdly. This wasn't my bed... Is was some kind of cart... attached to a motorcycle... Where am I? Isn't it the middle of summer? Why does it feel so cool? And what's that sound...?

Well, that explains it, I'm at a waterfall in some sort of forest... What?

"I'm glad you're awake."

"Huh?!"

It's a boy...about Clyde's age...with...green hair? Wait...Is he...?

"...'Huh'? Is that any way to greet your brother...Valencia?"

I jump out of the cart thing and fling my arms around the boy. I'm...so happy...I'm crying...

Zola...You're here!

-x-x-x-

Clyde sighed at the table, which had been put back up since last night. He cut out a slice of pancake and stuck it in his mouth, chewing as he thought of last night's events. He was well-informed of what happened after he went off to his room. Amy was simply leaning at the kitchen counter, lit cigarette between her lips. They pretty much had the same thing on their minds. Then Clyde swallowed.

"So let me get this straight," he began. "Zola's moving in?"

"Eeyep." smirked his aunt.

"...because...?"

"Whaddaya mean 'because'?"

"Aunt Amy, how long was he with us the last time?"

She lightly laughed this time, puffing her smoke in and out once before she explained. "Think of it this way, kid... That lettuce-headed drama queen's had it rough. You hear stories about orphans and people dying on the news, and, well, his life's about a third of that."

"...The heck does that mean?" Clyde didn't really like the response, earning a sigh for his guardian.

"Geez, Clyde, you're a smart young man, can't you figure that out?" Nevertheless, she continued. "All I'm gonna say is that there're three things in this world that're too important for him to leave for too long. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll get the other two out of him one day."

Clyde was still confused. He just ate his breakfast and climbed up to the roof after cleaning up. There he sat, staring out into the sky's nothingness and all he could see under it. He wondered... That's all. He just wondered. Why was Zola so hard to figure out? Why was everyone so sure but him? How come he wasn't?

He didn't like holding such a pressuring grudge...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the distant...faint...audible...clear....loud rumbling of a Harley engine. He looked down. Zola and his sister Val riding up to the house. Val had the biggest grin on her face. Yet when Zola locked eyes with Clyde...he smiled...

And Clyde smiled back.

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

The seeds for a good story are there.

_________________
"Small muscles, big brain, the heart of a lion."
—Anthony DiNozzo on Timothy McGee

UPDATED

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

I would like for you to actually expand upon this. Don't be afraid to go into detail either.

_________________
"Small muscles, big brain, the heart of a lion."
—Anthony DiNozzo on Timothy McGee

Believe me, I'm trying. I had typed the climax a few months ago and as soon as I was about to submit, my phone went out!

I'm just trying to work the nerve to retype it right now. Heck, I'll probably finish it this week.

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

I've updated this finally. Rating, grammar and final update vary.

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Wow...just......wow.
That is really good maru-kun! I like that!!

I write stories myself...speaking of it... I have an anime called "Chained Wolf" or in Japanese "Chen Ookami"

It's on the 15th chapter so far, I wrote it though but, trust me it's really good! But anyway,

Great story keep it up ok?

_________________
-X-KAZUMI-X-
ChAiNeD WoLf
-X-SHINJII-X-

95% Finished!

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

love it .

_________________
"Small muscles, big brain, the heart of a lion."
—Anthony DiNozzo on Timothy McGee

It's finished!

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Feathers
ENTRANCE II
The Blackroom
Written by MARU

I sighed after I closed my cellphone. I was sure Amelia knew about it, but I wasn't ready to tell the others. It had only been at least a month since my return, and I already had to leave...Again...

The Doctor called. It was late at night and our conversation lasted for half an hour, at least until 2AM. After we talked about our lives, how mine had changed, at least, he asked to meet at his favorite diner, the Hog Tie. He said he wanted to catch up more in person, and talk about a new project he'd been tweaking. As soon as he said 'project', I knew he'd drag me away from my still-fairly-new life in Zephyr Town.

But... I owed my life to him.

If he hadn't found me passed out on the streets of Gallow, I never would've made it. He was like a father to me, and my greatest teacher... Though his methods often draw me to hate him, I can't stay mad with him... I have no idea what's wrong with me...

Yet, all this aside, I left. I mounted Faris and rode off rumbling into the night...

And I could've sworn I heard a squeal somewhere...

-x-x-x-

"Ah, Zola. How have you been?"

"..."

"I know that look. You're troubled?"

"...Just...Why am I here...?"

"Hn?"

"I'd like to know why...why you're keeping me out of Zephyr Town... Also, I have the faintest feeling someone's watching me, but it'll pass..."

"...I'm sorry, Zola. I didn't mean to seem like that. I just...I have a simple request..."

"Is it about your project..?"

"Yes, actually... I would like you to...technically babysit."

"..."

"...D-Don't gimme that glare, Zola, you know it creeps me out, heheh..."

"...Explain yourself..."

"H-Here. A file of her information."

"...Riotala Shoza...What...Six... You didn't-"

"She volunteered, I swear."

"What child volunteers for genetic alteration?"

"...A crippled child? A-Oww, don't hit me like that!"

"You deserved that.It was my understanding you'd stopped using children after me."

"I didn't want to! Not for free at least. Sh-She payed me to after a long, drawn out debate! It was hard to tell whether she was a kid or just a dwarf or something."

"...IQ 162.4... Is that even...Where in Hell did you get this girl?"

"She came to me! From Veltsana! She's apparently some high-imperial something or other."

"...Friggin' Sue..."

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing...Just...Gauntila's rubbing off on me... But are you sure she isn't making any of this up?"

"She had an entourage. An entourage. And she wore a Regal Veltsana emblem."

"...You're so gullible, I can't even see you in science..."

-x-x-x-

How the Doctor can sound like such an idiot and be so intelligent, I'll never know...

The file was actually very informative. Before she came to Eldrioss from Veltsana, she was mostly bedridden. Ever since she was three, she's been terribly frail, from what I've read (must be where he got 'cripple'. The Doctor was never clear with his words). One day, she found out about the Doctor. Being the daughter of a famed composer of her region (must be why he thought she was royalty), she was able to come here on a private boat with two nurses (the entourage?). As for her intelligence, included with her file was a prompt of a discussion the Doctor had with her. The fact that she could keep up was proof enough that she was, at least, a prodigy (but where the hell did he get that number?).

I'm glad I didn't take the Doctor's word for it, to say the least. I'm thankful as well that the nurses put their information about the kid in there for comparison...

All that happened last night, and as I lie in bed, I don't know what to do at this point.

Why isn't my life simple like Gauntila's? Why can't we just trade places for a while so I can see a normal day? A normal afternoon?

But even I know that such things are impossible, even with science as it's driving force... Besides, those few like he and I, we were torn from 'normal' long before we realized...

These thoughts and many more seem to calm me down with complexity. A contradiction? Maybe, but it helps. I guess that's another thing that my time with the Doctor has given me; solitude in confusion. I can only wonder why the man influences me so...

Eventually, I worked up the energy to go downstairs to breakfast. Luckily, Valencia wasn't up at this hour on a Saturday. That didn't seem normal for her though... Maybe my sister's just going through a phase... But either way, the scent of peppered scrambled eggs greeted me most ironically as I prepared myself to tell Clyde...

-x-x-x-

...Nnngh...

I didn't think big brother's sidecar was this cozy... Wait... I FELL ASLEEP?!

Wait, someone just shouted...

-x-x-x-

"BASTARD! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

"L-Like I said..." Zola gulps, "I have to go..."

Why am I so amused by watching these to go at it like wild chickens? Wait, did that even make sense...? Well it doesn't matter. It's fun to watch Clyde an' Zola fight, or at least Clyde fights and Zola just stays calm, usually. Like cats and mice, those two!

Dang, I should've thought of that first. Ah, well...

Well, now I'm just sitting between them, picking at my breakfast while Clyde..Ah, I'll stop'im now..

"-or I'm gonna ram this fork five ways-!!"

"Clyde!" I call, cutting his threat short. "I'm sure our resident parrot-head has his reasons for having to go. Besides, it's been a month, so it's safe to say he's gonna come back." I then look at Zola with a smug, playful smile. "Isn't that right, Gemstones?"

They both seemed to shrink. "...Your nicknames are weird..." they both muttered. I just laughed.

Clyde then looked agitatedly towards Zola. "...Well?" he started. "Y'gonna tell me where you're going or not?"

"...I'm going to be watching over a child for a week or so... Before you get any ideas, allow me to explain. You remember the Doctor I'd been living with with for some time? Well..." Zola glanced to the side. "I'm not sure exactly why, but the kid volunteered to be his experiment subject in order to become... Stronger, in an energy-based sense."

"Wait, volunteer?" I blinked. I know the Doctor. We call each other almost every week. That's how I knew where Zola's been the whole time. Knowing the nature of such experiments, well... "That kid's about as sane as a cactus battery!"

"...Or one of your metaphors, Amelia." Zola hummed. "Either way, I don't know her current condition. The Doctor didn't include it in his reports..." I could hear him mutter 'lazy oaf' under his breath before he spoke again. "But where I'm going is a secluded facility in Gallow Forest. The Doctor usually only uses that base for experiments of high importance, so it's safe to say that the child's condition is either critically horrible or brilliantly successful."

I watched Clyde out of the corner of my eye. He seemed to understand it all pretty well. I could only wonder what he was thinking. He was probably paranoid that Zola would leave, or worse, die. Such a dramatic young man...

He suddenly spoke. "So in other words... You're gonna be babysitting a mutant?"

"...Not entirely." Zola shrugged. "Along with watching over her, I have to administer a few tests, depending on her condition." He leaned back a bit with a groan. "Why is the Doctor always shoving his work on me? Such a pain..."

"Hmm... Maybe he's just preparing you for life or something." I smirk before taking a bite of egg. Man, did I fry this thing well!

"I'm still getting used to the fact that you knew all along, Aunt Amy." Clyde sighs. "How is it something like that never came up? Or, you never told me?" Yeah, I guess he's still sour about that. Can't see why, though; I told him after Zola moved back in.

Nevertheless, I reply with a smile. "Oh, let's just say the Doc an' I went to the same university."

"Are you sure it was a university?" Zola joked in his usual tone of voice. "Are you sure it wasn't an asylum?"

Clyde and I laughed, and after a second, so did Zola. Gemstones can be funny when he wants to be!

I find myself wondering, as I look back on this morning... Can I stay patient until the next breakfast we all have together?

-x-x-x-

Big brother and I sit against a big tree, my arms around his right arm. Ever since he brought me to the waterfall, we visited there every Saturday. He said it was his most favorite place in the region. No wonder! It was so peaceful there.

But...

"So you're gonna babysit?" I ask. "For a week?"

"Technically..." he answers.

"...Just a week?"

He pauses.

"Yeah."

"...Zola... I really missed you..."

"Yeah... You tell me every day..."

My grip on his arm tightens for some reason...

"...Sorry. It's just..."

"Valencia... Look at me."

I turn to see Zola smiling calmly.

"I promise... There's no way I would ever leave you like that again... We're the closest family we've got, after all."

"...Zola..."

I don't think we said much after that. But I understand. Zola's really busy sometimes, so he's really distant sometimes, or all the time. He does so much for...science, I think, that I guess everything else sorta fades out. But I still love him, because my big brother'll never let me down.

...Still wish he'd take some time to relax though...

-x-x-x-

It's about 2 in the afternoon now... After packing a suitcase and saying goodbye to Clyde, Valencia and Amelia, I now walk the empty, nearly silent halls of a seemingly abandoneed facility. It seemed to be an old factory of some sort that the Doctor found when he was studying the wildlife of Gallow. My suitcase in one hand and Riotala's file in my jacket, I just wandered the halls, occasionally looking inside a door to find equally empty rooms, save a desk or two...

I wonder, what will this child actually be like? The file didn't say anything about a personality. From a photo enclosed, she didn't seem to smile all that often, but she may just not be that photogenic. She could have a bubbly personality, or be a spoiled brat. Based on the fact that she's the daughter of a famous composer in Veltsana, I'm currently betting on the latter.

I sigh. "Why am I thinking about this..?" I say to myself. I'm the only one in the hallway anyway, so why not, I figured. Turning to see a knob to my right, my curiosity beckons me to open its door.

Oh, if I knew what was coming...

"...clsss...thh...hhhrrr"

There was nothing. Nothing but pure darkness sealed behind the doorway. It was cold, almost intimidating. Not a shred of light could be seen inside as that next-to-silent whisper greeted me. My emotions were rather mixed. I'd seen far scarier things in my life, thanks to the Doctor, but I was...suprised. I...I wanted to know what was in there.

Suddenly, I saw two shining ruby-red orbs fade into view, adding an ominous color to the pitch-black.

"...Close...The...Door..." the voice whispered, with just a little more volume.

"...M-May I come in?"

Why the hell did I say that?

All at once, tendrils wrap around me, constricting me, lifting me up as I struggled to break loose to no avail. It slowly pulled me into the darkness, the door slowly sliding shut. The feeling of being suspended in gravity, no control, hopelessly trying to take control... It was terrifying. I started to breathe heavily, my eyes went wide, and worst of all, I couldn't see anything but these two red orbs getting closer.

Closer.

"..What...What are you?"

Closer.

I could almost make it out...A face...?

"I...could ask the same of you..."

...A...child...?

-x-x-x-

...Who is this?

No one told me I was going to have a guest. No, neither Rena nor Romania had said anything. Why didn't they tell me anything? Though, I'm not too bothered by it. This was probably another one of Ramonia's ways of patronizing me... As much as I hate that, it didn't upset me here.

What I find upsetting is that this 'guest' didn't close the door.

My body... Ever since that doctor (Amethyst, was it?) started his experiments, my body has a...low tolerance for light if it isn't very dim. Granted, I can move around, but I still cannot go outside because the light would horribly sting at my skin... What did that doctor do to me..?

It doesn't matter. What matters is this person my shadow's grip. He's almost to scared to speak, by the look of it. Not too scared to try and wriggle out of my tendrils. But he seems to see me in front of him. He stops moving when I speak.

Silence.

"...It's not nice...to break into places like this..." I breathe.

No answer.

"...Say something."

"...Put me down...Please..." he lets out. I do so, as well as prepare myself for whatever he plans next, arching tendrils from my back.

"...What are you?"

"...It's impolite not to introduce yourself before speaking to a lady." I tell him. "And I am not a 'what'."

"...My name...is Zola Tenacia..." he gulps. "...I thought you knew I was coming..."

"...I...I beg your pardon?"

"...Judging from the photo... You must be Riotala Shoza. The famed composer's daughter."

...What... How did this one know who I was? "...Go away!" I ordered. This could be dangerous...

"Hear me out first. I've been assigned to watch over you for Dr. Amity, as well as administer tests for your...abilities..." he explained. "It seems your body is perfectly conditioned now...except for the sensitivity factor, as according to the Doctor's notes... I was given a file, by the way, sorry for not mentioning it earlier..."

I was considering my options. What if this Zola person was lying? He could've just made that story up... But it was true, Amity had, for the most part, fixed me. But I didn't even know someone was coming to begin with. Why was he here?

Wait...Someone's opening the door again! I zoom away, under my bed. No, I can't stand the light!

"Hey, Riotala, I know how you are about your room, but..." Oh, thank goodness. It's only Rena, still wearing a school uniform from...Saucia Academy in Veltsana, was it? She seemed to notice 'Zola'. I can only see the calfs of his dark-brown pants.

-x-x-x-

"Well, hello handsome." Rena smirked. "You look like someone dropped your head in green paint." Her tone gave the remark a joking feel. Zola just sighed.

"A green hair joke? This late in the day?" was his response. "I don't know whether to feel flattered or embarassed."

This made the schoolgirl laugh. "I knew you were weird, even when I first glanced at those files Amity gave me!" she smiled, then turned her head slightly to a groan. It came from Riotala's bed, and Rena immediately understood, if her surprized eyes weren't anything to go by. "Oh man, sorry about that, Rio! Guess I forgot to tell you about Zola. Don't worry though, he's legit. You can come out now!" she explained, waving off her humiliation.

Shiny red eyes danced under Riotala's bedside. "No, I can't while the door's open. You're letting the light in, and you know it stings my skin nowadays." she refused. "And Rena, I've told you time and time again not to call me Rio. So...informal."

"Alright, alright," Rena laughed. She and Romania could agree, Rio was so cute when she acted formal (granted, that's how she is all the time)! "Fine, if the little princess wants total darkness, then the little princess gets just that." With that statement, the door was shut, leaving a smirking Rena, a relieved Riotala, and a neutrally confused Zola, all in complete darkness.

Riotala can be

The room's lights came on, Zola had to cover his eyes and refocus his sight, and Riotala collapsed to the slate floor, growling calmly in pain. "Rena, turn the lights off!" she commanded.

"Sorry Rio, but y'need to build up a body tolerance for light," Rena sighed, a hand on her hip. Then she smirks. "In other words, How bout No!"

"Rena, stop this!" Rio tried again, sounding more like she was whining with each sentence. "I can't bear the light! Stop this already! My skin feels like it's burning!"

"Ah, quit bein' such a little kid about it."

"I can't help my age, Rena, just turn the lights off!"

"Okay, but only if you say the magic words!"

"Please and Thank You, now turn them off!"

"That's not the magic word. The magic word is Alakadabra!"

"Don't Patronize Me!"

While the two bickered as though they were sisters, Zola simply started writing in his file. He examined Riotala. He could actually see her now. She had short dark hair with a bow at the side of her head and a black skirted dress with a red ribbon on her collar, red sash around her waist.

Subject: Riotala Shoza, Age Six
Condition: Exposure to light of any sort hurts; May need to reestablish adaptation to lights
Other:...What have I Gotten Pushed Into?

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

about 45% now...

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

say...65% now?

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

85%, y'all!

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Your stories are so good..they make me wanna jump all around thinking I'm crazy! You have a great talent inside of you and expressing itin writing and online where other can see how talented you are!! You are so amazing..

Hope you keep it up and maybe some day later, you can make it an actual anime, book, or tv show. Hope you keep striving for your goal.

Keep it up.~~~

_________________
-X-KAZUMI-X-
ChAiNeD WoLf
-X-SHINJII-X-

Okay, NOW it's 85%

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Ya got a choice here, Maru. You've already got a thread on the Lit board. Rules state no more than one thread per user. I can merge this story with your other thread or one of your threads gets locked.

Rules are rules. Let me know.

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Bloodsguar Studios member

WE ARE ALL GRIDS

Oh cripes, really? Huh...

MERGE! I can't afford to lose all of this progress! DX

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

As you wish.

_________________
Bloodsguar Studios member

WE ARE ALL GRIDS

Thank you so much.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, FOLKS! The Blackroom has merged witth A Small Visit.

ALSO, I've decided to name the work Feathers.

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Update: 11/26/11

How the hell am I supposed to update my Prologues if the scroll bar keeps jumping back to the top whenever I stroke a key?!

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

FINISHED WITH PROLOGUE II!

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Feathers
ENTRANCE III
Change & Conflict, Coffee & Tea
Written by MARU

Three Days Passed Since Zola Left...

Clyde is slumped over at the breakfast table. It's a Tuesday. Clyde loved Tuesdays, but something about this particular Tuesday was positively awful. Something that was finally taking it's toll on him. Reality was finally setting in as he hid his face inside the purple sleeves of his tunic.

Sasha Craeno dumped him (approx. 2 days ago).

"Aww, what's wrong, Clyde?" Valencia asked him, concern in her voice. She sounded a few years more mature than she would sound with Zola (she usually sounds like she's seven around him...). Clyde and Amy usually blamed this shift in tone on some abandonment issue she might or might not have against her brother. Clyde lifted his head by about 2cm. with a 'mmurghh...', earning him a slightly comforting pat on the back. "Whatever it is, it's okay." she smiled for him as he looked up.

"You're a little too young to actually understand, Vallie.." the reluctantly single boy sighed at his godsister. "I just lost part of my world... And here I am, sounding like a total sap over it. Seriously, how can something so small put such a weight on my shoulders?"

"Hey, don't be so sad on a Tuesday." Amy called from the doorway, concerned as a guardian should be, yet not as into it as Val. "It's so out of character for you. Like I stepped into some alternate world or something."

"Murrrphh!" Clyde retreated back into his sleeves.

"Something happen?"

"Sasha dumped him, I think. He didn't say."

"Oh shit. That's a surprize."

"I know! I wonder why she broke up with him."

"Yeah, because I'm not sitting here or anything.."

"I've been paying a little attention. I think it's because he has a one-track mind. Or it's his weird-ass personality."

"Oh, I think that's what's so charming about him in the first place. That is, to schoolgirls his age."

"Guys, seriously; RIGHT here..."

"Huh. Guess you're right. But they hooked up in the Summer, so he wouldn't normally have fangirls goin' all lovey-dovey over him, right?"

"Right. And from what I've seen, they're really happy together."

"...No Respect..."

"Wait, wait.. So..."

"In other words..."

The girls looked at each other in realization. "Why DID she break up with him?"

"THAT'S WHAT I WANNA KNOW." Clyde practically jumped out of his seat. "Forget it, if you guys need a place to chat, I'm happy to leave."

"Now Clyde," Amy gave her smug smile. "We're just trying to sort this whole thing out for ya."

"You make it sound like I'm too stupid to do it myself!"

"Clyyyde!" Val whined rather playfully. "We wanna help figure out why she did that too! No one hurts our Clydie like that." she said, a confident smile crossing her lips.

Clyde just looked at her. Something about her face just... It made him want to laugh.

And he did laugh. And it made him feel much better.

"Glad your can step out of your sulking zone for a bit." Amy teased.

"Ah, I'm still not over it, but a reason would at least make it better." Clyde reasoned. "...Or worse, but I'm willing to risk it. Got nothin' left to lose."

"Good. Now let's get the unlikely out of the way first. It could be that Sasha is leaving you because she doesn't wanna write cheesy love songs for some band."

-x-x-x-

Three Days Have Passed Since Zola Left...

He was taking notes as he studied Riotala's powers. The girl had grown a tolerance for dim light (reluctantly, of course...), and now he could see what she was doing. Her power over darkness was rather impressive. There seemed to be no limit to what she could do with shadows. He looked at a list he was writing for research.

Things Riotala Can Materialize Using Darkness
1. Spider's legs (from her back)
2. Tendrils/Tentacles (back is optional)
3. Platforms/Cubes/ Flat surfaces
4. Umbrellas
5. Clothing (according to Romania)

He looked up from his notes, then proceeded to write the first entry of the day.

6. A science-damned grand piano (and it works too!)

The child was practicing a piece from her father's collection. It was a rather simple piece to play, yet it sounded so...deep. Zola could detect a sort of dissonance, yet, it was arranged into a dark harmony. It was as if these were the keystrokes that symbolized psychosis; the inner workings of a man's last thread of sanity slowly being cut.

Riotala had finished playing with a light sigh, as if she were relieved to have performed such a foreboding piece.

"...How was it?" she asked, not turning around to see Zola just yet.

"...You want my honest opinion?" Zola waited for a responce, but she gave none. "This shouldn't even be possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing performance, but..." Zola paused. "...You've successfully turned a corner's worth of shadow into a fully functioning grand piano. In that, you've also broken the Law of Mass."

"...Zola..." Riotala hopped off of the bench to the piano as it melted away into the ground, refilling said corner with it's rightful shade. She turned to Zola, the same dull look as usual. "I may be a prodigy, but I'm still a child, you know. You can't expect me to realize that I'm breaking the Laws of...whatever it was."

Zola hmphed. "Yeah.. Don't remind me..."

"Also, I didn't break that law." Riotala added with a tilt of her head. She then pointed to a wall. "If that wall were to be plowed through by a force strong enough to have it crushed into dust, if that makes sense..." she paused to see if Zola understood what she meant, "it would still be the same amount of wall. Just...dusty."

Zola blushed as slightly as possible, embarrassed that a child had shown him up. Science was HIS shtick... But then again, it served as proof of her IQ. 'Guess that folder wasn't bluffing..' he thought.

After one more test (involving crash test dummies), the two and Rena decided to have lunch. They retreated to a room they had cleared, cleaned and signified as their temporary kitchen. Rena walked in coincidentally as the two were trying to figure out what they wanted. Rena had insisted on making sandwiches for herself and Zola, while Riotala...

"I'll just have coffee."

"Sure thing, kid."

Zola blinked. "...Isn't caffeine bad for children?"

"I'll have you know I can handle caffeine." Riotala opened one eye to Zola. "I've been drinking coffee since I was five. Father would allow it. He despises tea, so he decided I could coffee instead of the former."

"Since you were five?" Zola repeats. "You know that stuff stunts your growth, right?"

"I think that size is the least of my problems nowadays." Riotala turned to the teacup set in front of her on the counter (they're sitting on barstools, Riotala's elevated a bit higher). She scanned it for a few seconds. "...Rena..." she called, "This is coffee, right?" She was met with a hand ruffling her hair as Rena laughed.

"Awh, it's so cute when ya get yer posh lil' princess panties in a bunch!"

"I'm not a princess!"

"Don't worry, cutie, it's coffee. Just wanted to have a little fun with ya." she smiled.

Riotala glared at her skeptically, then lowered her gaze onto her coffee. Zola just watched as he ate his sandwich, noticing something. Rena's expression changed as soon as she looked down, from a cheery grin to a devious smirk. She was hiding something. Her smirk seemed to grow when the child started drinking.

You see, Rena was not usually the one who served Riotala's coffee. It was usually Romania.

'That's right, princess, drink up.'

What Riotala didn't know was that Romania, being a bit of an adult child herself, would switch the coffee with decaf, the excuse being that "Coffee is a bad bad drink!" All this time the shadow kid thought she could hold her caffiene was mostly fabricated. Shame, really.

'Oh yeah, swallow while I get the camera. Now I'll finally have some proof that you can just be a kid! Hahahah!'

"...It tastes..." Riotala blinked into her now empty teacup. "Better than usual... Maybe you should share your method of coffee-making with Romania."

"Something doesn't feel right.." Zola muttered.

With her plan almost complete, Rena stretched her arms upward with a contented sigh. "Well, I'll leave you two to discuss..." She trailed off as she rolled her eyes, backing up to the door as if she were thinking. She was thinking; about taking pictures, that is. "...Things..." she acted before slinking behind the door, exiting the 'kitchen'.

"...Weird." They both agreed.

An awkward silence filled the room. Zola took another bite of his sandwich, wondering what to say. He thought of something.

"...So... What's Veltsana like?"

Riotala swiftly turned her whole body, eyes wide and the pads of her right-hand fingers tapping at her seat. "What did you say?" she shot, startling the green-haired scientist by just a bit.

"I, I asked," he began to repeat, "What's Veltsana like? I've... never been.."

The girl started to visibly shake. Zola was beginning to wonder just how well she could-...

Wait... It all makes sense now...

But he would realize a bit late. Riotala pounced onto him, knocking the both of them onto the floor, Zola landing back first with Riotala clutching his shirt. She looked like a normal child, with a look of curious energy brimming in her eyes.

"I, I thought you'd never ask." she rushed. "My home is a really really big region of the world, and where I live, see, it doesn't have much foliage, that's a word Father taught me and it means greenery like plants and grass and trees and all sorts of things like that and-"

"Riotala-" Zola tried, but the girl persisted. Although...

"No. No, no, no no nononononono, no, not Riotala!"

"What?"

"No, no, no, no calling me Riotala anymore! Rio, just Rio! Riotalalalala's too, too long! Riorioriorio, callmeRio!" she chimed.

Zola just blinked. "...Darn whoever invented coffee." he whispered with wide eyes.

"Coffee? Coffee! Zola, Zola, Zola, more please!"

"...No way..."

"Zola, I want coffee, itsogoodanditsfreshandi,i,i,ihateteaitsevilteaisevil! Coffee, coffeecoffeecoffee!"

Zola tried to get up, but soon realized he couldn't move anything. He felt something strapping him to the ground. He looked over to see his arm covered in shadows! "R-Riotala-"

"RIIIOOOO!"

"Fine, Rio, whatever, you've pinned me into the floor!"

"Really?!" she blinked, surprised as she saw that the darkness pooled around Zola's body, slowly sinking him into it like quicksand. "Ohno! Ohno,ohno OH NO! WHWHATDOIDO, HOWDIDIDOALLTHAT, ZOLARENARAMMY,COME QUIIICK!"

Zola growled as his head sunk into complete black.

-x-x-x-

It all started a year ago...

A boy with spiky silver hair stands atop the edge of a building. His right hand clutches a shinier sliver, a flagpole. The flag that was tied to it was dyed a blood red, a sharply edged 'D' printed onto it with a diamond in the middle. He wore a black arm brace on his right arm. His attire was a pallet of red and black, a vest with the same D printed over his left pectoral. Even his eyes were red.

Said eyes gazed into the full moon of perpetual night. There was almost no cloud in the sky, plenty of stars, and what seemed to be an tragedy theater mask shaded into the luna. Beautiful? Incredibly...

If it wasn't so long since then last sunrise.

Bainz reflected, remembering what had happened to Novania, his home. It was all a year ago...

"Yo Bainz!" a boastful voice called out from behind him. "Took me forever t' find you... Now, hand over the M-Brace!"

He turned to see a blade pointed at him, a katana. Holding it was a boy his age, with tan skin and dressed in black and brown robes two sheathes strapped to his back and one strapped to his hip. His ebony hair was centimeters away from covering his eyes, which were colored a fiercely focused hazel at the moment. But most recognizable was his cat-like ears and a long feline tail that was wrapped around the hilt of the waist-strapped blade.

"Nekoda Blacklight..." Bainz sighed. "Well, there goes my quiet evening."

"You should've expected this, Dreamancer." The cat-hume grinned almost evilly. "The infamous Bainz Ruka, Leader of the Dreamancers. Known for his magical weapon, Angelsteel, a weapon known for it's shapeshifting capabilities. That blade is one of a kind, and wieldable by only the most powerful Dreamancer: you. Am I right so far?"

"...What's yer point, Stalker?"

"My point is that you're a fake!" Nekoda sneered. "All that Dreamancer bullshit is just that! Bullshit! Dreamancers are the stuff of fairy tales, and Angelsteel? That's your M-Brace!!"

"...Interesting... How do you figure?"

"Not to hard to figure. That brace on your arm is Light M-Brace, judging by the angel wing on your FLAGPOLE!"

Bainz looked at the flagpole still in his hand. Indeed, on the tip of the pole, there was a white wing. "...Oh yeah..."

"I've been waiting a long time to get my hands on one of those M-Braces." Nekoda took out his other two swords, taking his three-bladed stance, tail extended and arched as if it were another arm. "Now you have three choices. You can gimme the M-Brace, You can die, or You can jump and die! What's it gonna be, Bainz Ruka?!"

"...I'm gonna take a fourth option; T-K-O."

"What-"

KPWOOM!! The sound of a rocket launcher firing filled the air and it made Nekoda's ears perk. "Wh-what the hell was that?!"

"...Y'really wanna know?" Bainz smiled slyly. "That's the sound of a Dreamancer..." As he said that, the rocket proppelled it's way to the other side of the roof, exploding and leaving a large crater in the ground as the boys watched the smoke clear. And all the while, Bainz is giving an eerie smile.

"When Dreamancers get challenged, we don't just fight back... WE GO TO WAR, BITCH!" He points the bottom end of his flagpole at Nekoda, flashing an even more sinister grin than even Nekoda had before.

"...Y..Yer CRAZY!" The samurai cat-hume leapt off of the roof to the ground. He'd obviously been freaked out enough to do so. Bainz just turned down his evil grin back to his trademark smirk. Just as planned.

"Yo Sock, you can come out now!"

"I told you not to call me that!" A girl's voice called. She then jumped from the next roof over, her light-brown hair shining in the night. It was an eleven-year-old girl with torn clothing, most noticably a blue bangle on her left wrist and an equally blue rocket launcher over her right forearm, a pirate-bunny-skull painted on the side. "I told you to call me Rumble!"

Bainz laughed as his flagpole faded away into air. "Sorry, kiddo, it's just funny... You've grown since we-"

"Don't get all mushy, Ruka!" she barked as her arm cannon faded out. "That was then and this is now, so don't you dare finish that sentence! And I'm tired of having to save you whenever you get in a fix!"

"Hey, first, I can take Nekoda just fine, second, I didn't need any saving, and third, I know you were there the whole time anyways."

"N-No I wasn't! I-I was just, uh..." Rumble fumbled for an answer in her head. "I-I was just, uhh, passing by so I could, uh, find Tank an' Cannon, yeah, that's it!" Her face was a bright pink as she concocted the lie. Let Bainz know she actually cared to help? Never!

She would feel his hand ruffle her hair. "Doesn't really matter... I'm glad you were here to help anyway." Bainz smiled. He looked up to the moon again as Rumble stammered. "Hey... It has been a year, hasn't it?"

-x-x-x-

"Yep..." a crimson-haired girl of 17 sighed. "It's been a year..."

She runs her hands through her hair as she gets ready to perform. The venue is an alleyway, povertous and in ruins. A crowd of survivors is chatting amongst itself. Her right wrist bares a red bangle with a musical staff carved into it. It shines, and a white and red acoustic guitar, earning cheers from the crowd. She lets on a cocky grin.

"Welcome to the show, everyone, oh, and you too Billy." The crowd laughs at her small joke. "Are we ready?" With the crowd listening, she plays her song, and they're blown away.

It's an invigorating feeling... The applause, the energy, the sheer euphoria of stage and sound. It was completely overwhelming. Granted, she didn't have stage, since who could find a stage in this wreck of a city? Still, she had the sound part!

After her performance, Calico Arda would just sit there. She didn't have any money to count, she didn't practice her music. She just sat there, staring into the moon. She would talk to herself. She liked to imagine that the moon was the sun...

"...Why...?" she whispered. "...Why...Why won't you shine for anyone else...? I mean...Everyone else wants you, too... If you came out, those...those shadowy clowns wouldn't bother anyone... Thing's would--Huh?" A sound interrupted her train of thought.

It was the hiss of Jokers. Manifestations of evil borne of shadow. The hissing and theatre masks that served as their faces were a sure sign that they were savages. Ever since the Day of the Child, these demons roamed Novania in the dark of the perpetual night they were created alongside. But then, they made a mistake.

They interrupted Calico.

Her bangle shone as she stood, and her hands held the neck of an electric guitar made of all metal.

"Let's go, Hevay Metal!!" she shouted before bashing at the five Jokers that approached her. She swung left, swung right, swung down on the monsters with her weapon. She was the wielder of the Harmony M-Brace. And no Joker would interrupt her thoughts.

No One...

-x-x-x-

...Exactly six years and five months ago

A child was born

A princess foretold to be Novania's purest light

The light born to lead Novania

Into a bright, properous future

However

Such a child could be easily corrupted

Exactly one year ago

The child sang

And separated Novania from the rest of the world

Only to plunge it into eternal night

She soon disappeared from the world

Leaving the town in continuous choas

And irrepairable ruin...

"And based on that story," a young man in a lab coat with straight, shoulder-length dark blue hair is on the last few lines of his rant as he takes the tarp off of a big machine. "I decided to create this; The AMI-Tech Interdimensional Doorway, AMI-ID for short!"

"...That's all well and good, but..." Clyde raised his hand, "Why are we here?" He, Val, Zola, Rio, her guardians and Amy were all present for the Doctor's private unveiling of his new invention. They were all in a room for the Gallow Forest Facility. He and Zola were confused, Amy looked bored with Val hugging her leg with a curious look in her eyes for the machine, and Rio was rather absorbed in her coffee, served by Romania, whom of which Rena of sticking her tongue out at.

In short, they weren't all very interested.

"It's quite simple!" Amity dragged a blackboard along beside the AMI-ID, an arch-shaped machine with a space shaped the same inside. The board had all of their first names written on it, save Amy, Amity himself, and Val. "I need one of you to test this device!" he smiled kindly. But not a one of the five names were pleased with that smile.

"...You psychotic fiend..." Zola groaned. "You love toying with me don't you?"

"Wh-What? But school starts in four days!" Clyde gulps. "What if something happens? I can't leave town! I won't be able to keep my job! Oh man, MY JOB!" It seemed Clyde was worried about his life losing its normalcy.

"Why was I chosen?" Rio blinked. "I'm just a visitor, and your test subject. Ever since you fixed me, I'm still not compatible with sunlight yet."

"And why me, huh?" Rena bared her teeth at the scientist. "Just why am I your little plaything for this little portal thing?" She didn't seem to like the idea.

Romania, a woman with light-brown hair and about the same age as Rena, seemed to shirink at the idea.

"Awh, don't be like that, everyone!" Amity whined. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. In fact, I'm positive! I've done the research, the specs on the machine, and the numbers too! Project AMI-ID is 100% safe!" he boasted, pumping his fist in the air.

"...You absolutely positive, Amity?" Amy sighed, deciding to sit down at the control board. She didn't have a reason to, she just didn't want to keep standing. "I mean, this isn't the first time something bad's happened with your projects. And before you say 'Name One', I brought a list of college experiments gone amok in case you said that."

"...eheheh, hehe...hehh.." A nervous laugh escaped the scientist.

"So, what now?" Val asked curiously. "Is someone gonna end up going in there?"

"Certainly not me!" Clyde exclaimed. "I have a life, I don't need to risk it doing this. Like, what if it turns out there was a fly in there, and I go in, BOOM, I have a bug's head! Count me out."

"Who says I don't have a life?" Rena SCOFFED. "I just don’t want to do this! I’m not about to leave Riotala alone with you guys."

“Riotala seems fine around me, at least.” Zola added. “I just wouldn’t leave him alone with the Doctor. No offence.”

“None taken. I wouldn’t trust me with a kid either.”

“So who’s going?” Amy sighed.

“…me…”

“Romania?” Rio turned to her. She didn’t expect her to be so bold.

“…My ruby’s in another place…” Romania whispered like a child. “If my ruby’s in there, I want her… Rio… Can I go get my ruby?”

“…Is that what you really want Romania?” Rio had to confirm. She knew what Romania meant by ‘ruby’. “I support whatever decision you’ll make, but you must be sure you’re ready for whatever lies ahead.”

“…I…I want my ruby more than anything…” she nodded.

“What’s the big deal, it’s just a gem.” Rena asked.

“…I never told you Ren-Ren?” Romania kept her tone even as they all looked at her. “…Ruby is my most favorite thing in the whole world…”

Almost instantly, something in the AMI-ID sparked and it began to hum to life. The spark turned into multiple sparks, until it was a spectrum of colors within the arch. It caught everyone’s attention. Mostly Amity’s.

“YES!” he cried with victorious joy. “YES! IT’S A SUCCESS! MY INVENTION WORKS! TODAY, PORTALS, TOMORROW, PORTAL GUNS! BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!”

Zola blinked. “I can’t believe it actually worked.” He admitted.

“I can’t believe he said that…” Clyde smirked behind a facepalm.

“Science…” Riotala spoke. “It’s really amazing…”

Then something else sparked; the control board. Amy carried Val away before she could get hurt. “Agh, the hell! I knew this was gonna happen!”

Val had no clue what was going on. “What’s happening, Aunt Amy?” she squealed worriedly.

“Huh?” Rio could feel the sash of her dress being tugged toward the AMI-ID. Then her entire body was being pulled in. She reacted quickly, latching tendrils onto the edges of the arch. She suspended herself into the middle of the portal, desperately trying to stay out of the spectrum with wide, scared eyes as the machine hummed louder. “No, no, NO, Someone HELP ME!” she panicked.

But no one could help. They were all trying not to get sucked in themselves, holding onto whatever they could. Rena and Romania were hanging onto boxes. Val clung to Amy’s leg, who in turn was holding onto the door. Zola held onto the control board, since it wasn’t sparking anymore. Clyde held to the bars ahead of it. And Amity…well…

“YES! IT WORKS! I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF THIS MOMENT! AS OF TODAY I, DOCTOR CORNELIUS AMITY, AM THE MASTER OF THE FIFTH FRONTIER: INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAVEL! BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“GOD DAMMIT, AMITY, THAT KID’S GONNA GET TOSSED OUTTA THIS WORLD!” Amy barked.

But he just kept laughing. He couldn’t hear her. He couldn’t hear anyone but himself. He was so absorbed in the value of his progress, he didn’t care. He just held onto the wall, cackling at his own genius.

Clyde groaned. “Fine, if no one’s gonna do anything!” He let go of the railing and he slid to the arch on by the flats of his shoes. He reached over and took Rio’s hand. “Hey, don’t worry, kiddo, you’ll be just fine!” he assured when he noticed her gasp.

“Gauntila!” Zola called, jumping over the board and onto the other side of the arch. He took Rio’s other hand. “What are you doing? You could get hurt, Gauntila!”

“Dude, please, Riotala could get hurt!” he shot back.

“She’s my client!”

“She’s a kid!”

“I CAN’T HOLD ON!” Riotala shouted. Indeed, her tendrils were losing their grip. One by one, they snapped off of the edges each held, until finally that last shadow gave out. Now she was being pulled halfway into the vortex of whatever had gone wrong, Clyde and Zola being her final hope as they kept her from being totally sucked in.

“Grr.. Zola, your Doctor’s a prick!!” Clyde shouted at his green-haired friend.

“Agreed!” he answered with a growled voice.

They desperately tried to pull the child in, but to no avail. She was crying, horrified as she sunk into the AMI-ID. But she wouldn’t let go. The boys were being sucked into it themselves, arms tugging them in. It felt violating, as if it were pulling their arms and everything inside them; bones, muscles, joints, everything, all while the machine would hum louder and louder. They were both terrified.

…Zola was the first to go. “No..NO! NOOOO!”

“ZOLA!” Valencia cried out.

“…aw, shit…” Clyde grumbled. A horrid week’s worth of drama and sci-fi weirdness this has been. Sasha’s not his girlfriend anymore, he’s in a room with a mad scientist, and not only Zola, but a SIX-YEAR-OLD was sucked into a door to hell knows where. His eyes hidden by the shadow of his hair, he clenched his teeth. He had no other option…

“…GUYS, I’M GOING IN AFTER THEM!”

“What?” Amy gasped.

“NO QUESTION ABOUT IT!” Clyde recklessly swung himself into the AMI-ID, letting out a battle cry before his voice faded. He was gone. The machine’s ominous humming died out slowly and the spectrum of colors faded to white, then nothing. The empty space in the arch was all that was left behind.

They were all gone.

“…No…” Rena breathed. “…Not the princess… Not Rio…” Her eyes slowly widened. She couldn’t believe it was happening.

“…My…MY RUBY!” Romania screamed.

“…Clyde…” Amy whispered.

Valencia just sniffled. Tears started to fall, rolling down her cheeks. She looked to the Doctor, sheer rage in her eyes.

“…You did this to them…Bring them back.”

“…eh?” he blinked. He was acting as if nothing had happened. “Ah, Zola’s gonna be fine-”

“Because you’re bringing him back! So do it!” the preteen interrupted.

“…Ahm, I kinda can’t.”

“…Y’wanna run that by me again?!”

“Vallie?” Amy blinked. She’d literally never heard the kid with that tone before.

“Hey, I’m really sorry kid-”

“SHUT UP!” Val yelled. “JUST SHUT YOUR PATHETIC, LIE-SPEWING FACE!”

“Now, look here-”

“NO YOU LOOK! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I’VE WAITED FOR MY BROTHER TO SEE ME AGAIN?! HOW PATIENT I’VE BEEN TO HEAR HIS VOICE?! NINE YEARS, YOU HACK, NINE YEARS!! AND YOU’RE THE ONE HE WAS WITH ALL THOSE YEARS! YOU OWE IT TO US TO GET HIM BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!”

“Valencia Katherine Tenacia.” Amy’s voice boomed with a guardian’s authority. The enraged girl froze completely. Amy then looked to Rena. “Rena, take her to get something to eat. Romania, you watch over this room. And you,” she pointed to Amity. “…We’re going to find a way to get them back, whether it kills you or not. Show me where you put the notes for all this…”

“…Yes…” he glumly breathed as he followed her out. Rena would tug on Val’s arm, and she took her hand as she got up, shocked.

“…ruby…” Romania just hid behind a box, wishing all of it were just a dream. She now more than ever wanted to see her ‘ruby’ again…

She could almost hear her now…Wait…Huh?

-x-x-x-

“…OwwwwWWWW!! MY FRICKING HEAD!” Clyde woke up lying on cold concrete, sitting up with his hands clutching his head. He had a massive headache. “Ugh…What did I take? Waitaminnit… I don’t drink… Damn, its cold.” he spoke as he wrapped his arms around himself.

Clyde looked around. His eyes widened. Where the hell was he? It was obviously night, but the streets were so quiet and trashed. He could even see chunks of concrete out of place, hell, chunks of BUILDING out of place! What was this place? Clyde decided to do the one logical thing.

“IS ANYBODY HERE?” he yelled.

No answer.

“ZOLA! RIOTA!” he called, getting Rio’s name wrong.

He could only hear a hiss from behind, and he turns to see these weird black-looking things with masks, four of them and one fat one! “Holy crap!” he gasped. He turned to run away, but another masked thing pushed him to the ground. He tried to shuffle away, but it got on top of him, hissing with joy, judging from his mask.

Then he heard a gunshot, and it just landed on the ground next to him.

THE HELL IS GOING ON?!

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My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

Update 12/1/11

50% Complete...

Hoping to complete Prologue before my birthday on the 11th. After that, I will begin writing City Wars on this thread and on fictionpress.com. I will post chapters only when I'm done writing them to avoid post confusion.

If anyone out there has any advice, feel free to share it with me on this thread.

Also, Why is Surprise so hard to spell?! DDX

_________________
My DA
My Soundcloud (WARNING: May contain flat Japanese singing)
Feathers: hiatus'd

I've practiced waking dream writing a few times, and I have to ask: are you a waking dream writer as well? Alot of this seems surrealistic enough for me to believe so, and if so, its cool to meet a fellow practicioner. Oh yeah, you need to reread, I think you got your tenses scrambled in your prologue towards the middle, when you started swapping between past and present a whole bunch.

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Two men walk into a bar; the third one ducks.

My hubpage short story collections: http://adebussch.hubpages.com/